Loose Ends
by Invader Sam
Summary: My version of what happens directly after book 9 ends. Evenutal Haruka/Seta. Chapter 2 is up! ^_^
1. Chapter 1

"Loose Ends"

By Sam

A/N: After reading book nine I've decided that I really want to see Haruka & Seta get back together. So I'm going to type now what I wish would happen immediately following the last page of the graphic novel. 

Chapter 1

The room Seta was sharing with Sarah was easily reached from the balcony where he and Haruka had stood, watching Naru and Keitaro splash-fight in the pool. He shifted the sleeping Sarah on his hip and her head lolled to one side. "Poor little thing," he said, tilting her so her head rested on his shoulder again, "She really shouldn't be allowed to stay up this late. Even the other girls have turned in by now."

"Oh, they may have gone to their rooms," Haruka said, "But that doesn't mean that they're sleeping. I'll bet anything they'll be up for a good long time."

"Well, I'm putting Sarah to bed," he said, heading down the hallway, "But I suppose it's a sorry attempt to make up for not being around enough."

Haruka cocked an eyebrow as she followed after him. His moods could change so quickly, and she'd never seen him act like a caring father before. Not even when Sarah was a baby.

Seta stopped as they reached the door. "I've been meaning to thank you, Haruka," he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For letting her stay at the Hinata House," he said, "I'm glad she's had a chance to make some sort of a family for herself – even if it is as dysfunctional as this one." He smiled softly and Haruka found herself returning it in spite of herself. "I have to tell you there's not a night that goes by when I don't worry about not being there for her anymore. She seems like such a different person now. Sometimes I feel like one day I'll come back to visit and she'll be all grown up and I'll have missed it." 

Haruka was shocked to see small tears forming in the corners of his eyes. This man she was seeing now was certainly not the one she'd been furious with only a few short hours ago. This was a side of him she'd never imagined could exist. A thought struck her and she said, "Seta…this whole proposal thing…was this an attempt to give Sarah a mother?"

Seta's eyes widened. "I hadn't even thought of it that way…" he admitted, "She's gotten along without one for so long…but I suppose she does need one, doesn't she?" He sighed as he gazed down at the little girl in his arms. "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that, Ruka. It was a selfish thing to do, and I never even considered you feelings. Well, good night."

He put his hand on the doorknob and swung the door open. Behind him, Haruka stood, astounded. _Ruka…he hasn't used that nickname for me since we were dating in college! Just what is he playing at?! _she thought, _or maybe…he isn't playing at all…he certainly sounded sincere…_

Before she had a chance to respond, he'd shut the door behind him, leaving her alone on the hallway. She folded her arms across her chest sullenly. _He did that on purpose…I'm sure he did, _she thought to herself, heading down to the other end of the hallway where her room was. _Damn him…always has to have the last word. _

She stopped at her door, and slid her card key, unlocking the door and stepping inside. She glanced around the room. It was lit only with moonlight, and the island motif (which had been pretty cheesy in good light) had become suddenly appealing. The curtains on either side of her small balcony were blowing softly with the cool summer night breeze.

She stepped out onto the balcony, leaning against the railing and staring out at the night. All this romantic atmosphere almost gave her the creeps, and for a brief moment she thought it was some kind of set up. Maybe the hotel owners had cameras in all the rooms and had nothing better to do than try to tempt people into doing…things…for entertainment.

She shook her head, feeling herself blush. This place really was rigged. She hadn't had thoughts like these since who knows when. She'd be happy when morning came and it was time to leave. She felt much more like herself at the Hinata House. 

A flicker of movement caught her eyes and she turned. Further down, Seta had emerged out on the balcony of his room. He'd left his jacket inside and was now clad only in his bathing suit. He no longer had the tan from Pararakelse, and the moonlight made his once-again pale skin shine. His glasses had also been removed, and his brown eyes were sparkling.

Haruka frowned, disgusted with herself. She was acting like a silly teenager again, practically drooling over him. She was glad he'd taken his glasses off. At least he couldn't see her. Or could he?? She noticed him glance her way for a second and then turn back towards the sky. All at once she was worried. Was he far-sighted or near-sighted??? She couldn't remember; it had been way too long. 

Not wanting to risk anything else, she hurried back inside. Seta watched her as she did, and sighed. Was there still something there?? He had thought that she still cared for him, or he never would've asked her to take the ring. _But did I really think it through? _He though, _ Maybe I've just been fooling myself, thinking she could ever feel the same way again…_

But he felt the way he had all those years ago, and that troubled him. He'd never known what it was like to have feelings that were unrequited before. It kind of hurt. He shook his head and turned back into the room. This was what he got for putting it off this long. He'd told Keitaro that he'd confessed his feeling to Haruka, but that wasn't quite true. He'd never actually said anything of the sort to Haruka, so who could blame her for doubting his intentions.

He sat down on the edge of the bed where Sarah was sleeping. He smiled down at her, pulling the elastic bands out of her hair and setting them on the nightstand. She wasn't his – not biologically anyway. She'd been born before he'd ever met her mother. But after her mother had passed away, he'd taken her as his own and tried his best to be a good father to her.

He brushed her cheek with his finger and she smiled. He wondered what she was dreaming about. She really did need a mother figure…he'd never thought about it before, but Haruka would be an excellent choice. She was level-headed, a good disciplinarian, and even caring when she wanted to be.

But if he told her this, she'd never believe that he wanted her for any other reason. He lay down next to his foster-daughter, hands behind his head. He'd certainly gotten himself into an awful predicament this time. 

* * *

The next morning, Sarah was the first one awake. She sat up, yawning and stretching and trying to figure out where she was. The last thing she could remember was falling asleep on a lawn chair beside the pool. Her gaze fell on the figure of her sleeping father beside her and it all came together. _Good ol' Papa, _she thought, _Always lookin' out for me. _

Smiling, she leaned down and kissed his forehead. Then she climbed out of bed, and ambled out to the balcony. The sun was just barely coming up as she rested her chin on the railing. The sky was beautiful reddish-pink and deep purple clouds loomed in the distance. 

"It'll rain today," said a voice behind her. She turned and found Seta standing in the doorway, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and putting his glasses on.

"How can you tell?" she asked.

"Those clouds in the distance," he said, pointing, "They'll be hitting us later on today."

"You're so smart, Papa," Sarah said admiringly, hugging him around the waist.

"I try," he said, bending down and lifting her up into his arms. She put her arms around his neck contently. "Sarah," he said after a moment, "I have a question to ask you."

"Okay, shoot," she said.

"What do you think of Haruka?" he asked.

Sarah considered this for a moment. "Think of her…as what, Papa? Your ex, your friend…"

"Just in general," he said, blushing slightly.

"Well…" Sarah said, "I think…she was happier back when I was little – when you guys were still dating. Now she never has any feelings at all…kind of like a statue. Why?"

"Oh…um…no reason, really," Seta lied unconvincingly, "Just curious. After all you have been in her charge for a while now and –"

"I wanna go traveling with you again," Sarah said suddenly, cutting him off.

"You…what??" he said, "I thought you liked living at the Hinata House with your friends."

"Well I do, most of the time," she said, "But I miss you, Papa. I want things to be like they were before."

"I think it's a little too late to go back completely, honey," he said, "Don't you think Su and the other girls would be sad if you left?" As much as he loved her for saying she wanted to be with him, Seta forced himself to think about what was truly best for her in the long run. Excavation life just wasn't made for children; he'd learned that well.

Sarah sighed and nodded, "Maybe…" she said, "But I still miss you." She hugged him closer, burying her face in his chest.

"Oh, Sarah…" he said, kissing the top of her head, "I miss you too."

"Then why do you go away?!" she asked suddenly, pulling away from him. Her blue eyes were blazing.

"It's nothing personal…" he said, "It's just the job –"

"It's always the job that comes first," she said, angry tears forming in her eyes, "You love your job more than me! That's why you dump me off at places like Hinata House! I just get in your way!"

"Sarah! That's not true at all," he protested.

"Yes it is!" she cried, squirming out of his arms, running through the room and out the door, leaving Seta alone on the balcony.

He stood there, dumbfounded. Her change in moods had been so quick; he'd almost not seen the transition. He ran a hand through his own hair and sighed. He'd really set himself up for that one, hadn't he? Exactly the things he'd been worried about had been proven true in her little outburst.

And for once, being right wasn't so great. 

A/N: That whole nickname for Haruka was just from my mind. I made it up just to add a little more heart to the situation. So, don't go thinking it's a fact or anything, okay? ^_^ Also, this story will be a little slow with updates, seeing as I've hit a block in the middle of chapter 2. Don't worry – I'm gonna keep at it! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay! Broke out of the writer's block, to finish chapter 2! So enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2

Sarah didn't have anywhere to go after she'd left the hotel room, so she ran blinding down the hallway, tears running down her cheeks. It had always been this way with Seta. The job always came first, no matter what. And it wasn't fair.

All of a sudden, she ran into something as she reached the end of the hallway. She tried to back away from the thing, but strong hands came down on her shoulders and held her still. "Sarah…?" a familiar voice said, "What are you doing up so early?" Sarah looked up. It was Haruka she'd run into, and the older woman was looking down at her curiously. 

"Nothing…" the nine-year-old said, quickly wiping the last of her tears away, "Why do you care?" 

"Why shouldn't I care?" Haruka shot back, "Did something happen with your dad?"

"Maybe…" Sarah said, pulling out of Haruka's grasp and turning to face the railing, looking out over the pool area.

"Well…" Haruka said, leaning on the railing next to her, "Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to get angry at him. He really does care about you, you know."

"No he doesn't," Sarah said sulkily, "And who are you to talk about getting angry with Papa?? You nearly blew his head off yesterday."

"That's completely different!" Haruka said, not even believing she had to defend herself from the verbal assault of a child.

"Yeah, it is," Sarah nodded, "I got mad at him 'cuz he doesn't love me. _You _got mad at him 'cuz he _does _love you. Am I the only one who sees something wrong about that??"

Haruka was so stunned by the girl's audacity that it took her a few minutes to formulate a response. "I don't know what he said to you, but you have my word: he loves you more than anything else in the world. And whatever is between him and me is none of your business. You got that?"

"Yeah, right. Whatever," Sarah said and Haruka wasn't sure which comment she was responding to. Not another word was spoken between them that morning. Not long after the exchange, Su awoke and came looking for Sarah. The two girls ran off, leaving Haruka alone once more.

Time alone was what she'd wanted in the first place when she had woken up that morning. But after the bout with Sarah, she wasn't so sure that time to think was a good plan. Sarah had said that Seta loved her, but what did she know? She'd been a toddler when the whole thing had happened. That was why she could talk so freely about her mother's death – she didn't really remember her.

But Haruka remembered her all too well. Amanda MacDoogal was an intelligent, young American archeologist with a bright future despite the fact that she'd had little Sarah with her. There were plenty of critics who never thought she'd manage a career after having a child so young. But she never ceased to amaze them all. 

Despite it all, Haruka remembered her with only a sad sort of affection. Amanda had never realized that a competition had existed between them over Seta. She was brilliant, but a bit naïve when it came to these things. But she must have known something…Seta had said that she'd told him to propose to her. It could've been another one of his old lines, but somehow that didn't feel right. 

Haruka sighed as she watched Su and Sarah playing down by the pool. Sarah seemed so happy now, but it seemed to be a mask. She was hiding her problems from Su on purpose and Haruka couldn't think of a reason. The two had become so close; it didn't seem natural for anything to go unsaid between them. Then again, Su's maturity level was not at par with other girls her age. Maybe Sarah thought she couldn't handle it. Whatever it was, she'd probably never know for sure.

"Well, she seems recovered," said a voice and Haruka turned to see Seta standing beside her, "When she ran out of our room, I was worried."

"She was crying when I found her," Haruka said, "What did you do this time, you jerk?"

"Nothing!" Seta said, throwing his hands up exasperatedly, "I told her that she couldn't come back on the road with me and she just…overreacted…"

"I'm not sure I'd call it overreacting," Haruka shrugged, "You say she needs a mother, but what I think she wants…is her father…"

Seta swallowed hard, and put his hands down on the railing. "But I'm not…her real father…" he said quietly.

"You're the only father she's ever known," Haruka told him, "You're the one who's taken care of her since her mother passed away. Don't you think that counts for something?"

Seta hung his head, not knowing how to answer. Finally, he looked over at her and asked, "Do you?"

Haruka stared at him. Now the tables had turned and it was she who didn't know what to say. "Look, the storm that's coming looks like it's gonna be pretty bad. Why don't you come back to the Hinata House with us? Then you'll have some time to work things out with Sarah."

Seta smiled, "Alright." Then a glint of gold caught his eye and he changed the subject, "Hey…you're still wearing my ring," he said, grabbing her left hand, "Does this mean you've reconsidered my proposal?"

Haruka felt herself blush in surprise. "No!" she said quickly, pulling her hand out of his and tugging off the ring, "I just forgot to take it off before I fell asleep last night, that's all. Here – take it back." She pressed the gold band into his hand and then hurried off. "I've gotta tell the others to get ready to go."

Seta sighed as she left, fingering the ring aimlessly. Had she really forgotten to take it off? He'd really hoped she'd keep it, but that was probably just wishful thinking. Resignedly, he slipped it into his pocket and headed off towards his room. He needed to gather his things.

* * *

The sky was gray as the gang packed their things back into Seta's van. Keitaro and Naru were acting friendlier than usual with each other, and Kitsune was drilling them for any juicy info as to the reason. Luckily (in Haruka's mind), all of the girls were so consumed with the news of the two officially becoming an item, they gave no more thought to the matter of her and Seta.

On the drive home, the weather slowly turned from bad to worse. As they pulled up to the Hinata House, the sky had darkened by a few shades and the wind was blowing the leaves in the trees so that their undersides showed. 

"This storm came up quicker than I would've predicted," Motoko said as she grabbed her duffle bag out of the trunk. 

"Is there gonna be lightning??" Su asked excitedly, "Can we play in it??"

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Shinobu said warily.

"Come on," Haruka said, slamming the trunk shut, "Let's get inside before things really get bad."

The trek up the steps of the Hinata House was a difficult one, as the wind kept getting stronger as the went, and they were all relieved to be safely within it's walls (well, maybe with the exception of Su). Haruka switched on the lights and set down the suitcase she'd been carrying. "Girls, go make sure all the windows are closed," she said.

"Sure," Kitsune shrugged. The she grabbed both Keitaro and Naru by the arms. "Come on, love birds. We can talk while we run Haruka's errands."

The two began protesting, but she dragged them up the stairs and out of sight. Soon all the girls had departed and scattered throughout the house, leaving Seta and Haruka alone in the entryway. There was an awkward silence, only broken by Haruka when she picked up the suitcase again.

"For one night," she muttered, "even six girls shouldn't need this much shit."

"Let me help with that," Seta offered, reaching out to her.

"No thanks," she said curtly, lugging the suitcase away, "I can handle it."

Seta let his hands drop to his sides and she disappeared into the maze that was the house. He turned back towards the door, and the thought of leaving crossed his mind. He rejected that idea quickly and resorted to wandering the halls. With the lights only on in the foyer, the rest of the house was lit only be the grayness outside. The wind shook the windows as he walked past them.

He stopped in front of one of the larger windows and just stood there, watching the sky. The clouds were moving rapidly, ominously circling (it seemed) around the Hinata House. Something about it excited him, and he wished he could be out in it. Risking a thunder storm seemed safer than pursuing the issues with Haruka and Sarah.

At that moment, he heard padding footsteps on the wood floor and turned. Sarah and Su were racing towards him, not even noticing that he was there. As they reached him, a bolt of lightning lit the corridor and they saw him. Sarah skidded to a halt and Su had to stop herself from running into her.

There was another moment of silence as Sarah glared at Seta. He gulped nervously. Did he dare bring up their fight in front of Su? No, Sarah would be furious (or more than she already was) if he were to do that. 

Su was the first to speak. "Why'd we stop?" she asked, "Is the game over?"

"No," Sarah said, still staring at Seta, "It just got too crowded in here. Come on – let's go play somewhere else." Then she strode past Seta with her nose in the air. He hung his head.

"Okay!" Su said cheerily. She started to walk after Sarah, but stopped after a few steps and looked at Seta. He didn't realize she was watching him until she tugged on his jacket sleeve. "Seta…" she said, "Why are you sad?"

"Huh? Wha-?" he said, snapping out it.

"You're sad," Su told him, "Why?"

"Oh…no reason…" he said weakly.

"Sarah said you had a fight," Su said plainly, "Do you really love your job more than her?"

Seta was taken aback. "She…told you…?"

"Yeah," Su nodded, "So do you?"

"No of course not," he said and then to his surprise, he found himself spilling the whole story to the foreign girl, even the part about Haruka. It must have taken a good ten minutes and he was sure that Su would be long gone by the time he finished.

But when he looked over to where she'd been standing, she was still there and was watching him intently. She seemed much more serious than he'd ever seen her before, but then again, he'd only seen her a few times in the past three years, and this was the first time he'd ever really spoken to her directly.

She put her hands behind her and rocked back and forth on her heels, taking in everything. He said, "I'm sorry – that was unnecessary. I didn't mean to bother you with all of this…"

"I think you should stay here a while," she said, as if she hadn't heard his last sentence, "Then you can figure stuff out. I don't think Sarah wants to go away from us, but she misses you…a lot. I know…I hear her cry at night sometimes…"

"She…cries?" Seta echoed disbelievingly.

"Yep," Su nodded, "When I can't sleep I hear her. And then I miss my mama and papa too." Her green eyes were watery for a second and he thought she might burst into tears. Instead, her face brightened and she turned to face him straight on. "That's why you should stay here! You could be everybody's papa!"

"I…what???" Seta said.

"Yeah, yeah," Su said, and Seta could almost hear the gears in her head turning, "Sarah's and mine and Shinobu's and Motoko's and Kitsune's and Naru's and Keitaro's! They could use a papa too sometimes. And…" she added with a sly grin, "maybe you could get Miss Haruka to be the mama!"

"What???" Seta cried, turning red. 

"Oooh, this is gonna be fun!" Sarah said, grabbing his arm, "Let's get started!"

"Wait – Su…" he stuttered, "I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"Hey, I know you're scared," she said, her serious tone returning again, "But we'll go slow, okay?"

At that moment, the rain started. It came down in heavy sheets, slapping against the windows violently. Su's eyes widened and she released his arm. "Wow!! Look at it!!" she squealed, "I gotta go find Sarah! I bet she's never seen a storm from up on the roof!!"

"Hold up a sec!" Seta said, but the hyperactive thirteen-year-old was already gone, dashing out of sight. He moaned, rubbing his temple with forefinger and thumb. This was a curve he was _not _ ready for. Su's involvement could only lead to more complications. Stuffing his hands into his pockets he turned and strode off in the opposite direction, trying to figure out how he'd ever gotten himself into this mess.

* * *

A/N: So...Su's getting involved now. ^_^ By the end of the story, pretty much all the main characters will be included. Stay tuned for Chapter 3!


End file.
